Lucknow: With rumours about braids of women getting mysteriously chopped off doing the round, the Uttar Pradesh police on Thursday issued an advisory directing senior officials to contact locals and advise them against paying heed to any untrue reports.

Representational image. AFP

An advisory issued by the ADG, law and order, Anand Kumar also asks people to promptly inform police about those spreading rumours and not to take law in their hands, an official spokesman said.

The rumours need to be checked by involving villagers, peace committees as well as special police officers and prompt action should be taken against mischievous elements, the spokesman said quoting the advisory.

He said that social media should be used for creating awareness against such rumours and for immediate denial.

Seminars at the district, police thana and chowki level should be organised and youth and social volunteers active on social media be used for forcefully denying such rumours, he said.

No organised gang is involved in it, he said.

The spokesman said that one person, a sorcerer who had allegedly advised a girl to cut off her braid for immediate relief from some ailment had been arrested in Gorakhpur.

The sorcerer (ojha) had allegedly advised a 17-year-old girl in Campierganj police station area to chop off her plait for immediate relief from fits of unconsciousness which the girl had followed, the spokesman added.